Q&A with Al Doyle on New Build, LCD Soundsystem
Al Doyle is a storied musician who currently performs in both Hot Chip and New Build, the latter of which plays Neumos in Seattle on Sunday, December 7. In preview of the show we asked him a bunch of annoying questions about his old band, LCD Soundsystem.
NadaMucho.com: Thanks for agreeing to take this walk down memory lane with us Al. Can you start off by telling us about your favorite LCD Soundsystem gig?
Al Doyle: It would probably be the one I thought was my last ever gig, at the end of the Sound of Silver tour when James said he wasn’t making another record. We played “New York I Love You” and I was totally in tears. I just broken down and started sobbing and to add to it James started singing “Al Doyle I Love You” and that was just too much. Actually, talking about it now it probably wasn’t my “favourite” gig, but it was a singular experience. Very grainy footage here:
NM: How about your favorite LCD song?
AD: Gotta be “All My Friends.” Still the best one right? I mean, I could go for something more obscure but really why not pick the pinnacle?
NM: We love James’s lyrics too. Do you have a favorite?
AD: There are a lot of knowing lyrics that are cool and referential and I loved seeing people’s reaction to those, but some of the things that were closer to James’ heart seem to hit home with a little more force. “The coffee isn’t even bitter, because what’s the difference?” (from “Someone Great”) is a trenchant examination of the way grief makes you want to see the transformative nature of everything, but at one step removed there isn’t anything other than the mundane, and there’s a sadness in that too.
NM: What do you predict James will do next?
AD: He’s gonna do the music to a film about coffee.
NM: OK then. Let’s talk about New Build. What should we expect from the live show on Sunday?
AD: Monolithic, immersive dance music that goes on longer, and gets louder, than even we expect.
NM: How about the album?
AD: Same as the live show but with more attempts at intimacy, not all of it welcome.
NM: What LCD song would best fit in to New Build’s set, as a cover?
AD: Ha. I really wouldn’t want to try. Maybe “Get Innocuous?” We were kind of already a covers band in LCD so it’d definitely be a little too weird to tempt fate again.
NM: What instrument would James play if he was in the band?
AD: Dude, that guy can’t really play anything that well, that’s why he hired us. Actually that’s not true, James is a great musician; I’d probably stick him on the timbales though and then position them far away.
NM: What is next for New Build?
AD: A brief hiatus while we’re rudely interrupted by a stupid old Hot Chip album and tour.
New Build perform with Museum Of Love (Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem & Jee Day of DFA) at Neumos on December 7. Tickets are on sale now.